Fritz Peterson, who was a stalwart pitcher for the ineffectual Yankees of the late 1960s and early ’70s, but whose lingering renown derived more from one of baseball’s most notorious “trades” — his exchange of wives with a teammate — has died at his home in Winona, Minn. He was 81.
Julie Wimbish, a representative of the Winona County Vital Records Department, confirmed on Tuesday that Peterson died of lung cancer on Oct. 19, 2023.
His death was initially announced on Friday by Northern Illinois University, Peterson’s alma mater, and by the Yankees, but neither announcement said when or where he died or cited a cause.
The New York Yankees and the Diablos Rojos del México announced Friday that they will hold a two-game exhibition series in Mexico City in March.
The games will be held at Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium on March 24 and March 25.
The Yankees’ visit to Mexico City marks their first since 1968 when they played a two-game exhibition against the Diablos Rojos.
New York will open its season just days after the international matchup when the Yankees face the Houston Astros on March 28.
The games also mark New York’s first international trip during Spring Training since 2014 when it played a two-game exhibition series against the Miami Marlins in Panama.
According to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, the Yankees will also play their already-scheduled split-squad Grapefruit League games in Florida against the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets, also on March 24 and 25, respectively.
